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Fake electronic goods worth Dh4m seized

In one of the biggest hauls of counterfeit goods, the Department of Economic Development (DED) has confiscated electronic appliances worth around Dh4 million from a warehouse in Al Aweer area of Dubai.

The warehouse, tracked and raided by officials from the Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection (CCCP) Division of the DED, had stored over 26,000 duplicate gadgets of popular electronic brands including LG, Panasonic, Sony, Sharp and Hitachi.

The duplicates were carefully packaged to avoid suspicion and even had warranty labels of leading distributors in the region.

Khalid Ali Al Youha, Acting Manager of the CCCP’s Intellectual Property Rights Protection Unit, said the confiscation marks a major achievement in the efforts to protect trademarks and consumer rights in Dubai.

“In Dubai, being a major logistics hub and retail destination, we maintain extreme vigil on counterfeiting and trademark infringement.

“The CCCP Division conducts regular market inspections and also acts on complaints received to avoid Dubai being used as a conduit to sell or distribute counterfeit goods,” added Al Youha.

The goods seized from Al Aweer area weighed 120 tonnes in total and included 5,300 TV sets, 7,000 DVD players and various other devices including stereo sets, irons and vacuum cleaners. Nearly 60 people were found working in the warehouse.

Al Youha said the confiscated goods will be destroyed and that the owner of the goods will have to pay a fine of Dh30,000, the maximum penalty for trademark infringement.

“Trademark infringement violates intellectual property rights and Dubai is determined to curb such practices. Counterfeiting corrupts the market, kills innovation and denies a consumer his right to quality and information.

news@khaleejtimes.com